Just One Look
by TheFacelessWanderer
Summary: They were just doing their jobs - looking for the same criminal who was dropping bodies all over Portland. They did not expect to find their soulmate in the process. For Hermione's Nook Soulmate Rare Pair Fest Prompt: When you meet your soulmate for the first time, you get a flashback/relive their entire lives


Nick Burkhardt rubbed his eyes as they itched from starring at the book for too long. He was in the basement of Spice shop, new home for all his Grimm books, since Juliet torched his aunt's trailer in rage. Apparently she wasn't over the fact that he chose his destiny and duty of being a Grimm over having normal, simple life with her. So she decided to destroy all the knowledge his ancestors bestowed on him.

It was even stranger that it come up after she transformed and decided to embrace her newly found Hexenbieste side.

So he spend yesterday sorting out all that remain from the fire, hoping that he could still find something to reverse side effects of the spell that brought back his Grimm powers.

His stomach growled and it forced his out of his wary thoughts. Glancing at his watch he saw that it was way pass lunch. He should go upstairs and ask the others if maybe they want something too. It would do him some good to go out and went his head on the way to picking food.

As Nick reached the back room of the shop he heard Rosalie wishing her costumer a nice day and then a bell above the door chimed as they left. He got a glimpse of wild pile of curls of the woman, when the world around him stood still. And he felt himself being pulled away.

He could still feel his body standing in the doorway of the Spice shop's main room. But he no longer saw shelves upon shelves filled with jars full of all kind of herbs, spices and spell ingredients he probably didn't want to know about.

No. Right now he saw, vividly as if he himself was there a girl with a cloud of curly brown hair holding a hand of her mother as she took her first steps as her father was tapping it with old video camera. He wasn't sure why but he knew that they were her parents as he felt the warmth and love wash over him. It was not his emotions, but it was so nice and pure feeling that he wanted to hold on to it.

He saw the same child, few years older with longer and wilder if it was even possible hair, sitting in the corner of the room reading a book that should be too difficult for other children her age, while other kids played with toys. He could feel the curiosity as the topic was clearly of interest to the girl, but under it her too felt sadness and loneliness.

Same girl, around the same age, other location. It was her room decorated it nice violet and cream colors. She was looking at another book in her hands with astonishment and giddiness. He didn't know what so special about the book but she looked around warily before stashing it under her mattress.

This time she was in the school bathroom washing her hands when two other girls came in.

"Oh look! Freak is here. I don't know what I would do if I had such birds nest for a hair." One of them shuddered exaggeratedly.

Nick felt as curly haired girl fisted her hands knuckles going white, eyes starting to well up with unshed tears as she jutted her jaw stubbornly, determined not to let bullies see their insults land a blow to her.

Now she sat in the nice manicured back garden. Reading under a tree, a piece of cake and a cup of tea on the bench at the hands reach. It seemed that it was fall, because tree tops were starting to change colors. Quiet hooting sound came from overhead. Girl looked up her brows furrowing. To both of their surprise big brown owl landed smoothly on the bench, just missing the afternoon snacks and deposited old fashioned looking envelope with bright red wax seal. Girl just stared and an owl jutted her head as if encouraging girl to pick up and open the letter.

"Nick. Nick! NICK!" Rosalie's voice cut through the haze as shop came back in the focus again.

Nick looked around slightly disoriented.

"You okay, man?" Monroe asked.

"That woman." Nick said motioning to the door. "Who was she?"

"What?" Monroe and Rosalie shared a look of concern.

"Woman who was just here. Do you know her?"

"Uhmm, no. It was first time I saw her. She is not local." At questioning look from Nick Rosalie elaborated. "She had a British accent."

"What did she want?"

"She bought some aconite seeds." Rosalie shrugged. "Why- Did _you_ know her?"

"No. No, but there was something strange. I don't know. I caught a glimpse of that woman and when…" Nick shook his head. "It was like I saw her memories. I don't know how, but I know it was her memories." His phone pinged. It was from Hank. "Another body dropped. I need to go."

"Sure man, we'll look into your vision thing." Monroe promised.

Grimm thanked his friends before rushing through the doors.

It washer first field mission since Hermione Granger took over deputy director position in MACUSA's Magical Beings Liaison Office. It was important to her to show her supervisors that they were right to put their trust in her and solve this case quickly and without any hiccups though it seemed to be turning out to be more personal than Hermione ever wished for.

Bodies dropping in Portland had all the markings of werewolf attacks. From the closer view Hermione recognized MO.

It was Fenrir Greyback.

She was scheduled to meet with the Captain Renard who was overlooking progress of this case in muggle world. Her information on one Sean Renard told her that he wasn't merely human himself. He was a Zauberbiest, one kind of creatures calling themselves Vesen. She was intrigued by the possibilities and so knowledge hungry witch promised to herself to look into it more deeply once Greyback was dealt with.

Hermione made a mental note to find a place in Portland where she could purchase needed ingredients discreetly, without alerting Fenrir or his spies that she was onto him. Maybe Vesen community had sufficient source?

Curly haired witch was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't notice a man rushing into elevator she was exiting that moment. He bumped into her and her briefcase slipped out from her hands and hit a ground. It was just Hermione's luck that its lock chose that exact moment to snap open and spill its contents all over the floor. She growled and looked back to see elevator's door closing. She got a glimpse of the wanker who pushed her out of his way. Detective, judging from the badge clipped to his belt, was talking to his companion not aware that he caused someone to trip.

Hermione's eyes glossed over his face jus as doors snapped shut. And she felt the world melting away. It was like being in pensive just everything was much more vivid, not cloudy or choppy as extracted memories tended to be.

She saw and felt little boy with dark hair and blue eyes shrieking in delight as man, his father, was chasing him in the backyard of nice family home, slightly reminding Hermione of her childhood home. Stern looking woman was watching from the porch, her thin lips twitching as if ready to smile.

Same boy, few years older, same woman. She was tucking boy into bed.

"Mom, can you tell me a story?"

Woman smiled at her son and as if it was routine started telling a story about two sister warriors who guarded the world from evil. Before she was finished boy was fast asleep. She kissed his forehead and turned off the lights.

Same boy, another few years older. He was hugging his parents as they promised to see him soon and asked him to be good for his aunt. Boy nodded his head and only held his parents closer.

Same dark haired boy. This time not older, but he seemed sadder. He watched as his aunt opened front door to see two police officers with somber expressions on their faces.

"I'm sorry ma'am. There was an accident. Your sister and her husband did not survive the car crash."

Hermione felt the grief, the disbelief. She felt boy's heart breaking.

And then just as suddenly it started, it ended. Once again Hermione found herself in police precinct, kneeling on the ground her hands full of papers she was trying to gather up and stuff back to her briefcase.

"What the bloody Merlin was that?" She whispered incredulously.


End file.
